Stock Brakes Performance

93CalypsoConvert · Oct 1, 2021

How well do the stock brakes work in a Fox? Just got new rims/tires 245s all the way around. Decided to do a brake test. I could not lock any of the brakes pushing HARD on the pedal. Does this sound normal for these cars? I have new pads/shoes on it, drums are adjusted correctly, and there is no grooves on the disks/drums. My brakes have never been quick to respond either. I've bled them before... Maybe there is still air somewhere?

General karthief · Oct 1, 2021

Still have 16" wheels?
my gt always stopped good daily driving and I could lock up all four wheels if I had to, first thing I did when I got it was rotors, drums, shoes, pads and all hardware including hoses.
Now I've never hauled it down from triple digits in anger but I have driven it hard.
Now add big hoops on and I can see some issues arise.
Fluid gets old too, also air in the system can be a cause.

93CalypsoConvert · Oct 2, 2021

General karthief said:
Still have 16" wheels?
my gt always stopped good daily driving and I could lock up all four wheels if I had to, first thing I did when I got it was rotors, drums, shoes, pads and all hardware including hoses.
Now I've never hauled it down from triple digits in anger but I have driven it hard.
Now add big hoops on and I can see some issues arise.
Fluid gets old too, also air in the system can be a cause.

17 inch. 26 inch tall tire. Might try bleeding it again.

General karthief · Oct 2, 2021

I have 16" with a 2 5" tire.

General karthief · Oct 2, 2021

If the bleeding don't help taking a piece of sand paper and scuff the pad/shoe and the rotor/drum surface, they may be glazed, remember proper shoe/pad break in.

7991LXnSHO · Oct 2, 2021

93CalypsoConvert said:
How well do the stock brakes work in a Fox? Just got new rims/tires 245s all the way around. Decided to do a brake test. I could not lock any of the brakes pushing HARD on the pedal. Does this sound normal for these cars? I have new pads/shoes on it, drums are adjusted correctly, and there is no grooves on the disks/drums. My brakes have never been quick to respond either. I've bled them before... Maybe there is still air somewhere?

91 5.0 LX will stop from triple digits well at least once without a cool off. In daily driving, I can lock them all up no problem, even after I have coasted, riding the brakes down a hill and ran out of vacuum from the lumpy cam.
Original hoses can be stretchy or clogged up like a bad vein by now. Hard lines need inspected by now. If you do not know how old the fluid or hoses are, I’d change all of them.

Mustang5L5 · Oct 2, 2021

They should work better than that at least once.

93CalypsoConvert · Oct 2, 2021

So I bled the brakes. Very little fluid flowed in the rear, however there was no air bubbles. Front flowed great and had air bubbles. Pedal is much more firm, but still can't lock the tires. I havent scuffed the pads/shoes yet to test for glaze. Soft lines look good. Unusure if they are original or not.

manicmechanic007 · Oct 3, 2021

Something is wrong if you cannot lock em up most likely air
Used to get that complaint a lot on brand new ones at the dealer
Used to go on road tests and tell the customer to hold on while I test these brakes
Effing face on the windshield they would be screaming okay okay

General karthief · Oct 3, 2021

Change the rubber hose to the rear housing

mikestang63 · Oct 3, 2021

Tires have a LOT to do with braking more than you think. If you have new good tires, that goes a long way. Also spend $250 and get the Maximum Motorsports brake upgrade kit. It has hawk pads and shoes, SS caliper bolts, SS lines, That will greatly improve the braking... That being said, stock fox body brakes on most of my cars I've owned and gone deep into the 10's with no problems.

7991LXnSHO · Oct 3, 2021

mikestang63 said:
Tires have a LOT to do with braking more than you think. If you have new good tires, that goes a long way. Also spend $250 and get the Maximum Motorsports brake upgrade kit. It has hawk pads and shoes, SS caliper bolts, SS lines, That will greatly improve the braking... That being said, stock fox body brakes on most of my cars I've owned and gone deep into the 10's with no problems.

Mike, if he cannot lock them up, do you think his tires are super sticky?

mikestang63 · Oct 3, 2021

7991LXnSHO said:
Mike, if he cannot lock them up, do you think his tires are super sticky?

lol.. uh no

brakes not adjusted right
air in the lines

Dan02gt · Oct 4, 2021

mikestang63 said:
Tires have a LOT to do with braking more than you think. If you have new good tires, that goes a long way. Also spend $250 and get the Maximum Motorsports brake upgrade kit. It has hawk pads and shoes, SS caliper bolts, SS lines, That will greatly improve the braking... That being said, stock fox body brakes on most of my cars I've owned and gone deep into the 10's with no problems.

I have this kit and it is well worth the money. Way better than stock!

93CalypsoConvert · Aug 8, 2022

Update: Should've mentioned I have the 4 banger brakes, so I've got the tiny disks. I have fixed my weak brakes issue though. I did two things which made a significant improvement.

1. Had the rotors resurfaced. O'Reillys does them for cheap. Did a great job.
2. My main vacuum hose that goes to the vacuum tree was collapsed and not letting much vacuum in. I replaced with a better one and now I've got great brake assist (funny how that works)

limp · Aug 8, 2022

I was thinking wrong size piston Master Cylinder?

Bullitt347 · Aug 8, 2022

When I ran a Mustang performance shop, I had a guy that came in and wanted better brakes, but did not think that there was anything better available, especially without going with Big Brakes.
I told him we would change the pads to a Performance pad and install new stainless brake lines.
He said "what good is that if I can already lock up the tires with what I have"?
I told him he would be surprised. He was a bit skeptical, after all the car would skid all four tires when you hammered the brakes.
So we installed new performance pads (machined the rotors) and installed stainless brake lines.
He drove the car and was amazed at how much better the car stopped.
That deal alone resulted in us performing a lot more mods to his car. He figured out that we knew what we were doing.

TOOLOW91 · Aug 9, 2022

Used to stop my car from almost 130mph in a 1/4 mile with them . Used to get real hot but it stopped

7991LXnSHO · Aug 9, 2022

TOOLOW91 said:
Used to stop my car from almost 130mph in a 1/4 mile with them . Used to get real hot but it stopped

The key is a cool off time in between runs? Heat soak on a road course could get challenging.

TOOLOW91 · Aug 10, 2022

7991LXnSHO said:
The key is a cool off time in between runs? Heat soak on a road course could get challenging.

Correct

Stock Brakes Performance

93CalypsoConvert

Active Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

93CalypsoConvert

Active Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

93CalypsoConvert

Active Member

manicmechanic007

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

mikestang63

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

mikestang63

Dan02gt

mazing how much gas smell came from that tiny hole

93CalypsoConvert

Active Member

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

Bullitt347

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

TOOLOW91

If you're the village idiot what's that make me?

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

TOOLOW91

If you're the village idiot what's that make me?

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Stock Brakes Performance

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wanna catch the space herp

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

wanna catch the space herp

mazing how much gas smell came from that tiny hole

Active Member

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I have been doing it wrong this whole time

If you're the village idiot what's that make me?

wanna catch the space herp

If you're the village idiot what's that make me?

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